Getting Grace; Giving Grace Part 1
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We have been on quite the adventure through Romans. Establishing living by faith in Jesus exclusively is the theme of Romans. The last few chapters of Romans is a test for the student of the Word of God. The fullness of grace is not known at the point you walk in the favor of God just for yourself. The sign of maturity in grace is when you offer grace to the undeserving of grace. By definition grace is unmerited favor by divine influence. God has called believers to offer the divine influence they have received from God to those around them.
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Romans 14:1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
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There was a disputing over what should be the diet of the believers. The weak believers were claiming you should only eat vegetable and no meat. There was a judgment being made between the meat eaters and non-meat eaters. It may sound silly to our society where any diet is allowed; however I have heard church dispute over other petty full issue. Things like owning a TV or not. Denomination who dress only a certain way and if you fail to dress their way they hold other believers in contempt. Let love and moderation rule. God tell us to walk and dress modestly without doubt. But there have been some who have taken modesty to such an extreme that if you wore a short sleeve shirt you have offended them. Many other such worthless arguments have caused needless wounds to new babes in Christ. Many times it is so called seasoned saints inflicting the hurt.
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Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
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Paul ’s words are very strong here. The church is God’s people and who are we to make judgment upon God’s people? It is God who is able to make His servants stand.
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Romans 14:5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
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Here we have practical teaching about a person convictions. To eat meat or not to eat meat, to worship on the Sabbath or now it is only on the Sunday to worship. So many get so entrenched in their traditions they forget that Jesus Christ is the center piece of the Gospel. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind! If God has given you an instruction keep it! However don’t make a doctrine out of your conviction!
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Colossians 2:16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
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The heart of the gospel is we have righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus is the substance! When men try and make performance the substance beware!
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Colossians 2:6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
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How did you receive Christ? By faith, and it is by faith in Jesus Christ you will stand! One man looking down on his brother because he does not approve of his performance is a wrong judgment to make. If one is weak in the faith we must receive him! By the divine influence of God your brother may very well be persuaded to walk closer to God. God calls us to offer grace in order to strengthen the faith of the brethren!
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Romans 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
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If you have truly received grace your living is to the Lord. The cross was for the purpose of Jesus being Lord over all.
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Roman 14:10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."
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What a day that will be when every knee shall bow to Jesus Christ our Lord. Those walking in the fullness of grace desire to encourage the brethren!
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Romans 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
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Will the accounting you give speak that you bowed the knee long before this day judgment. Will our accounting say we did not create a stumbling block or a cause for our brother to fall? Oh that the body of Christ would resolve to not put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
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Romans 14:14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
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Those walking in the fullness of grace look out for the brethren around them. True graceful walking filters actions through the love of the brethren.
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Romans 14:16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
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Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is the kingdom of God . Some have mistakenly thought the kingdom of God is eating and drinking and observance of days. Theses are the matters of dispute which we need to walk peacefully and in love.
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Romans 14:18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
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Our hearts should be sensitive to the weak and do all that is within us not to offend the weak and cause them to stumble. This is offering grace to the weak and acceptable to God.
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Romans 14:22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
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Do you have a conviction? Be faithful to it. Walking in your convictions must be guided by love.
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Philippians 2:1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
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Walking in grace considers the needs of others; with the grace and comfort God afforded you, so should you offer that same grace to those around you.
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1 Corinthians 12:18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
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God desires that there should be no schism in the body, but the members of the body should have the same care for one another. Genuine grace calls you to walk in unity with the brethren. Romans 14 starts with the same admonition of receiving the weak and 1 Corinthians 12 take it one step further. The members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary and we should have greater care for them. God help us to walk in the fullness of grace.
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